Switching counter

ABSTRACT

A switching-counter mechanism for switching on battery-operated appliances, and automatically registering the number of times the switch has been actuated, the counter indicia corresponding to the approximate degree of exhaustion of the battery.

United States Patent 1 1 1 1 3,803,372

Dijkstra v 1451 Apr. 9, 1974 [5 SWITCHING COUNTER 3,566,049 2/1971Wright 200/11 TW x A 3,283,185 11/1966 Somers et al. 30/4392 X [75] RemHume Dllksira, Drachten 3,375,337 3/1968 Barrett et al 200/11 TW uxNetherlands 3,440,380 4/1969 Harasymiak 200/156 3,435,167 3/1969 PflegerZOO/ll TW [73] Ass'gnee' gf g New 3,654,413 4/1972 Jordan et al. 200/156[22] Filed: Sept. 1, 1 971 Primary Examiner-James R. Scott [21] Appl188679 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Frank R. Trifari Related US; ApplicationData [63] Continuation of Ser. N0. 852,308, Aug. 22, 1969,

abandoned.

[57] ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl 200/52 R, 200/16 D, 30/DlG. l V [51] Int. Cl.H0lh 15/10 A switching-counter mechanism for switchin on batg [58] Fieldof Search 30/4392,- 34 A, DIG. l; tery-operated appliances, andautomatically register- 200/1 1 TW, 156,, 52R, 16 C, 16 D ing the numberof times the switch has been actuated, the counter indicia correspondingto the approximate '[56] References Cited degree of exhaustion of thebattery.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,104,299 9/1963 Koci et al. 200/ 156 10 Claims, 4Drawing Figures PATENIEDAPR 9 m4 SIEEI 1 0F 2 'INVENTOR. R El N HARMENDIJKSTRA AGEN SWITCHING COUNTER Thisis a continuation of US. Pat.application Ser. No. 852,308, filed Aug. 22, 1969 now abandoned.

The invention relates to domestic appliances, especially dry-shavers,use batteries at least for certain periods of operation and devices forindicating the amount of use and degree of exhaustion of the batteries.

Users of such-domestic appliances provided with batteries frequently aregreatly inconvenienced, because generally they cannot even approximatelypredict the instant at which batteries will become exhausted. Thisinconvenience is aggravated during week-ends or holidays, when suchappliances are taken to places where it is uncertain whether an articlelike a battery will be obtainable, let alone whether there arefacilities for re-' charging. I

It is an object of the invention to eliminate or at least obviate thesedisadvantages, and the invention is distinguished in that the devicecomprises a counting mechanism which registers the number of switchingoperations. Experience has shown that the number of switching operationsperformed on operative batteries of an appliance in order to cause themto deliver the electrical energy requiredfor the appliance, may beregarded as an i'ndication of the degree of exhaustion of thesebatteries. This applies especially to appliances which are used dailyfor a given period of time, such as dryshavers, tooth brushes, mixers,etc. With respect to such appliances this count of switching operationsmay accordingly be'used as a convenient standard.

The device according to the invention is further characterized in thatthe counting mechanism comprises a make-and-break switch for operatingthe appliance. This switch, designed as a slide switch, operates aresilient pawl which cooperates with a ratchet wheel; the wheel isarranged for rotation about its axis and actuates the counter of thecounting mechanism. During one switching movement of the switch, theresilient pawl causes the ratchet wheel to move through a distancerequired to advance the counting position of the counter by one unit anda locking member locks the ratchet wheelduring the other switchingmovement of the switch.

The invention will be described more fully with reference to theaccompanying diagrammatic drawings which show an embodiment from whichcomponent parts irrelevant to the invention have been omitted and fromwhich further advantageous details will appear:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of an embodiment of the device according tothe invention in which the resilien pawl engages the ratchet wheel,

FIG. 2 'is an elevation similar to that of FIG. 1, in which theresilient pawl slides'over the teeth of the ratchet wheel which is inthe form of a sprocket wheel, and v FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view ofthe device according to the invention 1 FIG. 4 is a front perspectiveview of the invention. Referring now to FIG. 1, the reference numeral 1designates an elevation of an embodiment of the device according to theinvention. This-counting mechanism includes a switch 2 in the form of aslide switch which operates a resilient pawl 3: the pawl cooperates witha ratchet wheel 5 which is arranged for rotation about its axis 4 and inturn actuates the counter of the counting mechanism; the resilient pawl3 during-one switching movement in the direction indicated by the arrowA of the switch 2 advances the ratchet wheel through a distance requiredto increase the figure indicated by the counter which is actuated by theratchet wheel Sby one unit. During the other switching movement of theswitch (in the direction indicated by the arrow B, see FIG. 2),theratchet wheel 5 is locked'by a locking member 6. The ratchet wheel 5,which is in the form of a sprocket wheel having teeth 7, also acts as acounter. On actuation switch 2 is a first movable contact 17, a

second movable contact 18, and interconnection means 19, all of whichmove as an integral unit whenever actuator 2 is moved. FIG.' I shows theactuator 2 moved to the right with contact 18 engaging fixed contact 20,while contact, 17 engages fixed contact 21, whereby the circuit (shownin FIG. 2) is closed. When the actuator is moved to the left, to theposition shown in FIG. 2, contacts 18 and 20 are separated, when opensthe circuit, even though contacts 17 and 21 remain in contact. Forconvenience the actuator 2 has a knob or button 2a that may be pushedwith the users finger.

The distance between two successive counter positions aand b (FIG. 1)which are situated on a circle corresponds as an angle at the centre tothe spacing between two tooth roots 8, the pitch, of the ratchet wheel5' in the form of a sprocket wheel, which tooth roots 8 lie on a circleconcentric with the circle on which the counter positions are indicated.

The locking member 5 comprises a leaf spring 11 held between two studs 9and 10. A part of the leafspring 11 lying between the studs 9 and 10 isprovided with a bulge 12 the outer periphery of which fits in the spacebetween two successive teeth 7 of the ratchet wheel 5 in the form of asprocket wheel.

The resilient pawl 3 is constituted by a resilient arm 13 which formspart of the switch 2. During one switching movement of the switch 2 (inthe direction indi cated by the arrow A) the free, hook-shaped end 14 ofthe arm 13 engages with the toothed rim of the ratchet wheel 5 in theform of a sprocket wheel (FIG. 1), whereas during the other. switchingmovement of the switch (in the direction indicated by the arrow B) thishook-shaped end 14 slides over this toothed rim.

The ratchet wheel 5, which acts as a counter is provided with a centralboss 15 having a slot 16 in its free end. By means of, for example, ascrewdriver the ratchet wheel acting as a counter may be set to zero,one unit of the counter being one tooth of the wheel.

of circumferentially spaced teeth and circumferentially spaced indiciacorresponding to the teeth, a slide member slidably mounted to said basefor cyclic movement between first and second positions, a pawl carriedby said slide member and extending to and contacting a second positionmoves said pawl and said tooth that it contacts and thereby rotates saidwheel, with the indicia likewise moved for indicating the number oftimes the switch has been operated, and resilient locking means on saidbase including a portion that releasably engages and restrains the wheelfrom rotating until same is driven by said slideand pawl between firstand second positions, said slide member and base further comprising amake-and-break electrical switch within said electrical circuit, theslide in one of said positions closing said circuit, and in the otherposition opening said circuit. v

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said locking means comprises aspring having one part secured to the base and a second part thatreleasably engages at least one tooth.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said locking means is a leafspring, and said second part thereof is curved for extending into aspace between two adjacent teeth of said wheel.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said indicia indicateconsecutive units, and each switching operation of the slide from firstto second position rotates the wheel whereby the indicia indicates oneadditional unit. I

, 5. In a dry shaver using a battery for providing electric energy tooperate the shaver, the battery having available a quantity ofelectrical energy which is sufficient for operating the shaver apredetermined approximate number of times, switch means on said shavercomprising a first part reversably slidable between of and on positions,the first part in on position closing the electrical circuit, thuselectrically connecting the battery to operate said shaver and partiallyexhausting the battery, the first part in off position opening saidcircuit, and a second part having observable indicia formed as asequence of symbols corresponding to the number of said switchingoperations for which the battery is sufficient, the second part beingengaged and rotatable by the first part to register and indicate one ofsaid symbols for each successive switching operation, whereby the secondpart automatically indicates the degree of exhaustion of the battery.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said first part isa slidablemake-and-break switch.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said second part is a countingmechanism comprising a ratchet wheel rotatable about its axis, aresilient pawl carried by said first part and contacting said wheel,lateral movement of the first part and pawl driving said wheel to rotatean amount sufficient to indicate the next consecutive symbol of saidsequence of symbols, and a locking member for restraining the wheelsbetween switching operations.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the ratchet wheel is asprocket wheel.

9. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said resilient pawl extendsfrom said make-and-breakswitch.

10. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said second part isre-settable to indicate the beginning of said sequence of symbols.

Q CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, ,372 A Dated April 9, 1974 ln-(gi) REIN HARMEN DIJKSTRA It is certified that error appears in theabove-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are herebycorrected as shown below:

In the title: 9

The FOREIGN APPLICATION PRIORITY DATA is as follows:

-Dutch Application No. 6812260, filed August 29,1968- Q Col. 1, line 6,before "use" insert -which- Signed and Sealed this ninth Day OfSeptember 1975 SEAL] 0 Arrest."

RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Officer Commissioner ofParentsand Trademarks O

1. A device for simultaneously switching an electrical circuit andcounting and indicating the number of switching operations, comprising,a base, a sprocket wheel which is rotatable on the base and has aplurality of circumferentially spaced teeth and circumferentially spacedindicia corresponding to the teeth, a slide member slidably mounted tosaid base for cyclic movement between first and second positions, a pawlcarried by said slide member and extending to and contacting a tooth ofsaid wheel, movement of the slide from first to second position movessaid pawl and said tooth that it contacts and thereby rotates saidwheel, with the indicia likewise moved for indicating the number oftimes the switch has been operated, and resilient locking means on saidbase incLuding a portion that releasably engages and restrains the wheelfrom rotating until same is driven by said slide and pawl between firstand second positions, said slide member and base further comprising amake-and-break electrical switch within said electrical circuit, theslide in one of said positions closing said circuit, and in the otherposition opening said circuit.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 whereinsaid locking means comprises a spring having one part secured to thebase and a second part that releasably engages at least one tooth. 3.Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said locking means is a leafspring, and said second part thereof is curved for extending into aspace between two adjacent teeth of said wheel.
 4. Apparatus accordingto claim 1 wherein said indicia indicate consecutive units, and eachswitching operation of the slide from first to second position rotatesthe wheel whereby the indicia indicates one additional unit.
 5. In a dryshaver using a battery for providing electric energy to operate theshaver, the battery having available a quantity of electrical energywhich is sufficient for operating the shaver a predetermined approximatenumber of times, switch means on said shaver comprising a first partreversably slidable between ''''off'''' and ''''on'''' positions, thefirst part in on position closing the electrical circuit, thuselectrically connecting the battery to operate said shaver and partiallyexhausting the battery, the first part in off position opening saidcircuit, and a second part having observable indicia formed as asequence of symbols corresponding to the number of said switchingoperations for which the battery is sufficient, the second part beingengaged and rotatable by the first part to register and indicate one ofsaid symbols for each successive switching operation, whereby the secondpart automatically indicates the degree of exhaustion of the battery. 6.Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said first part is a slidablemake-and-break switch.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein saidsecond part is a counting mechanism comprising a ratchet wheel rotatableabout its axis, a resilient pawl carried by said first part andcontacting said wheel, lateral movement of the first part and pawldriving said wheel to rotate an amount sufficient to indicate the nextconsecutive symbol of said sequence of symbols, and a locking member forrestraining the wheel between switching operations.
 8. Apparatusaccording to claim 7 wherein the ratchet wheel is a sprocket wheel. 9.Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said resilient pawl extends fromsaid make-and-break switch.
 10. Apparatus according to claim 5 whereinsaid second part is re-settable to indicate the beginning of saidsequence of symbols.